The Economist this week takes on the myth that we need our education system and economy to produce more scientists and engineers. If scientists and engineers are so valuable, why do they make less money than doctors, lawyers and business consultants? I shudder every time I hear doom predicted because of Asian engineers.

…doomsayers are guilty of the

Since people like pennies, but the Mint is losing money on them, let the Mint publish a specification for pennies and let people make their own.

Rich Lowry is a man after my own heart.

[Update at 11:30 Pacific]

Here’s a more recent post from me on the subject.

…must be spinning in its little tiny coffin, at the recent economic growth and deficit reduction numbers:

Did you know that just over the past 11 quarters, dating back to the June 2003 Bush tax cuts, America has increased the size of its entire economy by 20 percent? In less than three years, the U.S. economic pie has expanded by $2.2 trillion, an output add-on that is roughly the same size as the total Chinese economy, and much larger than the total economic size of nations like India, Mexico, Ireland, and Belgium.

…here

…must be spinning in its little tiny coffin, at the recent economic growth and deficit reduction numbers:

Did you know that just over the past 11 quarters, dating back to the June 2003 Bush tax cuts, America has increased the size of its entire economy by 20 percent? In less than three years, the U.S. economic pie has expanded by $2.2 trillion, an output add-on that is roughly the same size as the total Chinese economy, and much larger than the total economic size of nations like India, Mexico, Ireland, and Belgium.

…here

…must be spinning in its little tiny coffin, at the recent economic growth and deficit reduction numbers:

Did you know that just over the past 11 quarters, dating back to the June 2003 Bush tax cuts, America has increased the size of its entire economy by 20 percent? In less than three years, the U.S. economic pie has expanded by $2.2 trillion, an output add-on that is roughly the same size as the total Chinese economy, and much larger than the total economic size of nations like India, Mexico, Ireland, and Belgium.

…here

And I’ll bet that the Norwegian whaling industry does as well. A whale was shot down while being watched by tourist whale watchers:

Jan Kristiansen, who represents the whalers, defended the shootings. He claimed the whalers were simply taking advantage of the nice weather, when the hunting is best.

“Many of the whaling boats had been tied up at the dock for several days, waiting for better weather,” he said. “When it finally came, we have to make the most of it.”

Kristiansen claimed that he and the other whalers “don’t have anything against the whale safari boats… but it’s important to get across that it’s the extreme opponents of whaling that travel out to see whales.

“We can’t prevent them from being against the hunt, and they can’t prevent us from hunting.”

He’s obviously never met American environmentalists.

And, yes, I did have trouble finding a category for this one.

Enviroidiots are shocked and disappointed to discover that Europe isn’t meeting its Kyoto goals.

Missing CO2 targets makes baby Algore cry. Baby Jesus doesn’t give a rip, though…

I’ve heard a number of people warn us that oil prices could double, or triple, in the event of a new disturbance (e.g., Iran) in the Middle East. I think that this is ludicrous. So does Larry Kudlow. He explains.